Cool Summer Symptoms with Seasonal Eating

It’s summer and it’s hot! And hot weather can flame your internal heat, causing irritating symptoms. 

Sometimes just the outdoor heat alone is enough to flare your temper. Try getting stuck in a summer traffic jam with no AC in your car and two whining kids in the backseat. You have to have some serious zen to stay ‘cool’ and calm.

If you have excessive internal heat already, summertime can mean a flare up of ‘hot’ symptoms like:

• Acne

• Skin rash

• Moodiness (could be anger, depression or anxiety)

• Migraines

• Insomnia

• Loss of Appetite

• Constipation.

Things like:

• Eating spicy foods or inflammatory foods

• Poor detoxification

• Poor nutrition (ie: not enough healthy fats and water)

Can cause this excess heat. 

Let’s look at how you can use the traditional wisdom of eating with the seasons to cool your heat and get your feeling more balanced this summer.

Many of us now live in heated and cooled homes, with a supermarket within short distance. But it wasn’t so long ago that we lived in caves and huts, hunting, farming and foraging for food.  

In those days, living within the natural rhythms of the season came, well, naturally.  Observing the gifts of each season was the framework in which the early traditions of medicine were born.

In Chinese medicine, five seasons were observed, and the five elements of water, earth, fire, wind and metal pair with the five seasons. 

You may be wondering, “wait, what is this other season?” It’s late summer, and it corresponds with the Earth element. This does not being until late August. As I write this in late July, we are still in ‘regular summer,’ with the element of Fire dominating.

In Ayurvedic medicine, which originated in India, there are five elements as well and three seasons.  These three seasons represent harvest seasons, with Spring being a lean time without a harvest.  The three seasons also match the three doshas (constitutional types). The three seasons of Ayurveda represent two elements interacting; in the case of summer they are fire and water.

Summer, according to Ayurveda, is dominated by Pitta dosha- that hot, irritable, competitive and inflamed type. But I shouldn’t cast Pitta in too negative a light. We all need the fiery nature of Pitta to drive us forward, to digest our food, to energize us.

Ayurveda teaches that heat needs to be cooled with water, but not only plain water, also other cooling, watery things can tame heat.

Here are some foods that can cool you in summer:

• Fresh, seasonal, organic fruit

• Lots of filtered water

• Bitter greens

• Basmati rice

• Cucumber

• Bok choy

• Lettuce

• Mint

• Cilantro

• Fish and seafood

• Aloe vera juice or gel

You’ll also want to avoid these foods:

• Fried foods

• Heavy, greasy meats

• Dairy products

• Spicy foods

Eat a lighter diet in the summer, with salads and steamed foods predominating.  Don’t overeat in the summertime, as this can lead to indigestion.

Chinese medicine has some similar ways to look at controlling heat. Again water tames fire, but note that wood feeds fire. If you have summertime symptoms, you do not want to feed your fire!

Wood has to do with spring season and the body system of your liver. 

What foods burden your liver? 

• Alcohol

• Coffee

• Sugar

• Food Additives

• Lack of healthy fats

• Dehydration

• Xenoestrogens and other toxins

To avoid caffeine but still have a pleasant summertime drink, try:

• Keep a pitcher of iced lemon water in the the fridge

• Try chrysanthemum tea, from the Chinese tradition (more information)

• Try a Pitta balancing tea, like this one I found online, with hibiscus and shatavari (an herb that is great for women’s health too!)

We have a special podcast, courtesy of Cate Stillman from the Yoga Healer podcast, featuring Cate’s Ayurvedic expertise on summertime, as well of that of her guests Dr. John Doulliard and Kate O’Donnell. Check it out here!

Do you have any tips on keeping cool with diet in the summertime?  We’d love to hear them!

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Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.

Whole Detox with Dr. Deanna Minich

Dr. Deanna Minich is a nutritionist and an author. She is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, a Certified Nutrition Specialist, a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and a Registered Yoga Teacher. In this week's episode we talk about whole detox and restoring health.

Click here to download an mp3 of "Whole Detox with Dr. Deanna Minich"

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 01:40 Introduction to Dr. Deanna Minich

Min 04:40 The 7 Systems of Health

Min 10:10 Colors & painting people

Min 14:00 Dr. Deanna's personal healing

Min 16:00 Healing as an art & creativity

Min 18:50 Moving & being active

Min 19:40 Women's health & creativity

Min 26:00 Balancing the 7 systems of health

Min 34:15 Dr. Deanna's detox program

To learn more about Dr. Deanna Minich, visit her website here and follow her on social media:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Pinterest

Resources:

Whole Detox Spectrum Quiz

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Restore Your Radiance Program

Click here to learn about our Restore Your Radiance Program.

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

Summer Eating with Ayurveda with Kate O'Donnell & John Douillard

This week's podcast is made up of 2 segments from Cate Stillman podcast show "Yoga Healer". Cate is an Ayurvedic practitioner.

This episode is about summer and seasonal eating. Our guests are Kate O'Donnell who is an Ayurvedic chef, Ashtanga Yoga teacher & cookbook writer based in Boston and Dr. John Douillard who is also an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Play this week's episode here

Click here to download an mp3 of "Summer Eating with Ayurveda with Kate O'Donnell & Dr. John Douillard"

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 00:10 Introduction to this week's podcast

Min 04:00 Getting overheated and inflamed during summertime

Min 05:15 Effects of caffeine, alcohol, tobacco & sugar

Min 08:35 Overheating and stress

Min 10:30 Getting transparency in the body

Min 14:30 Thriving with the core of Ayurvedic wisdom

Min 17:50 Kate's Mint cilanto coconut chutney

Min 22:20 The complexity of eating & diets

Min 24:00 Introduction to Dr. John Douillard

Min 25:00 Dr. John's go-to meals in summer

Min 26:05 Bile sludge and foods to decongest the liver & gall bladder

Min 28:00 Eating diversified foods

Min 31:20 Eating wheat & hard to digest foods

Min 34:05 Toxins

Subscribe to Our Podcast

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

To learn more about Kate O'Donnell, visit her website here and follow her on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

To learn more about Dr. John Douillard, visit his website here and follow him on social media:

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

YouTube

Google+

These two guests were originally featured on Cate Stillman's podcast "Yoga Healer" here and here.

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

The Right Way to Lose Weight with Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman

Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman is an author and has been a pioneer in the field of nutrition and functional health for many years. She is the author of the new book "The New Fat Flush Plan" which is our focus today.

Click here to download an mp3 of "The Right Way to Lose Weight with Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman."

Moving Into Menopause: Hormone Balance After 40 Summit

BUY the Hormone Balance After 40 Summit package here!

Hear 32 expert lectures on improving metabolism, balancing moods, increasing sex drive and more!

You can also take our peri-menopause quiz here to help you identify your own symptoms and what could be going on for you. You’ll also get some articles on balancing hormones and once the summit starts you'll be automatically added.

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 01:50 Introduction to Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman

Min 02:30 The Lamp Post story

Min 04:30 Hidden weight gain factors and their effects

Min 09:00 Ways to enhance estrogen metabolism

Min 10:00 How the liver helps in losing weight

Min 12:30 The connection between thyroid health and liver gall bladder

Min 13:00 Effects of a removed gall bladder & the supplement to take

Min 18:50 Cellulite & the lymph system

Min 20:05 Connection between fluoride, tea, and lymphatic system

Min 21:10 Tea, chocolate & caffeine

Min 24:20 Dr. Ann Louise's personal experience with weight

Min 28:15 Dr. Ann's book & how to get it

To learn more about Dr. Louise, visit her website here and follow her on social media:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

Dr. Ann Louise's Resources: 

The New Fat Flush Plan 

Guess What Came to Dinner - Ground breaking parasite/weight loss connection

Super Nutrition For Women - Guide to combat PMS, alleviate yeast infections, lose weight, and strengthen your immune system.

Before The Change - Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause

Bile Builder supplement - Healthy bile and gallbladder support formula

Thanks for listening.

Bridgit Danner

Founder, Women's Wellness Collaborative

Reset Your Metabolism With Maria Emmerich

Maria Emmerich is a ketogenic diet expert and an author of various books with the newest being "The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse: Reset Your Metabolism with 160 Tasty Whole-Food Recipes & Meal Plans"

In this episode we talk about metabolism and we're giving away a free book so be sure to listen to the end to learn how to enter the contest.

Click here to download an mp3 recording of "Reset Your Metabolism with Maria Emmerich."

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 02:25 Introduction to Maria Emmerich

Min 04:00 Maria's new book "The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse"

Min 05:20 What works and what doesn't work

Min 07:50 Glucose & non-glucose burners

Min 09:30 Being in ketosis and burning fat

Min 11:50 What happens on consuming excess sugar/carbs?

Min 18:00 Doing the ketogenic diet the right way

Min 19:40 Exercise and mistakes people make

Min 21:50 Recommended tests

Min 26:30 Negative charges & grounding

Min 30:50 The ketogenic diet and its adoption by different people

Min 34:55 Minerals, mineral deficiencies and supplements

Min 38:30 Maria's resources including free recipes

To learn more about Maria Emmerich, click here to visit her website and follow her on social media:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

To listen to a previous podcast I did with Maria Emmerich on Ketogenic Cooking, please click here.

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

The Wahls Protocol for Autoimmunity With Dr. Terry Wahls

Dr. Terry Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine, clinical researcher and an author of the book “The Wahls Protocol”.  She was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years but recovered and is now a cyclist!

Click here to download an mp3 of "The Wahls Protocol for Autoimmunity with Dr. Terry Wahls".

Sign Up For Our Newsletter 

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 01:30 Introduction to Dr. Terry Wahls

Min 05:50 Multiple sclerosis (MS) & its progression

Min 09:10 Steps to recovery and healing

Min 17:00 Terry's work helping other patients during her recovery period

Min 25:50 The relationship between MS & autoimmunity

Min 28:40 Stem cells and myelin sheath regeneration

Min 33:40 Preventing Multiple sclerosis (MS) & other autoimmune diseases

Min 38:00 Terry's autoimmune books

Min 40:00 Mitochondrial function & support

To learn more about Dr. Terry Wahls, visit her website here and follow her on social media:

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest

Dr. Terry’s Resources: 

The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles

The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook

The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life

Private Coaching with Bridgit 

Learn about our current private coaching programs HERE.

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

To listen to a previous podcast I did with Susanne Bennett on Mitochondria Support, please click here.

What to Do About Menstrual Cramps

I’ve have gotten a few questions in a row about menstrual cramps, so thank you for guiding me on what information you want!

There are two types of menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), primary and secondary.  I’ll first give some tips on dealing with primary dysmenorrhea, and then cover the sources of secondary dysmenorrhea.  

Primary Dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is caused from the normal process of shedding your uterine lining each month with your period.  But the degree of pain and cramping varies for each woman, and you can influence the level of pain naturally.  

Here’s a bit of background on why menstrual cramps happen from the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine: 

“In the 1960s, it became evident that chemicals called prostaglandins are a central part of the problem. These chemicals are made from the traces of fat stored in cell membranes, and they promote inflammation. They are also involved in muscle contractions, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting, and pain.

Shortly before a period begins, the endometrial cells that form the lining of the uterus make large amounts of prostaglandins. When these cells break down during menstruation, the prostaglandins are released. They constrict the blood vessels in the uterus and make its muscle layer contract, causing painful cramps. Some of the prostaglandins also enter the bloodstream, causing headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Researchers have measured the amount of prostaglandins produced by the endometrial cells and found that it is higher in women with menstrual pain than for women who have little or no pain.”

The article goes on to explain a way to lower prostaglandins through food. How can this be done? Because prostaglandins are produced in the endometrium (aka endometrial lining) of the uterus, and because the endometrium grows in response to estrogen, if we can keep estrogen within a healthy range, then that lining will not overgrow, causing an overproduction in prostaglandins.  Pretty cool, right?  

Tips for Menstrual Cramps

1.  Magnesium for Menstrual Cramps

Your uterus is smooth muscle, and it requires magnesium to cramp smoothly. This is true for labor as well as your monthly period.  In addition to relaxing the muscles, it helps calcium be absorbed, and calcium is important for proper muscle function as well.

Due to insufficient minerals in the soil, insufficient greens and healthy foods in the diet and increased mineral need due to bodily stress, most of us are not getting nearly enough magnesium.

When I ask women if they are taking magnesium, they usually say, “Well I’m taking a multivitamin.”

Unless you are taking a multivitamin with several pills included, the chances are you are not getting enough magnesium for your supplementation.

Magnesium is very bulky, and it requires usually four pills to reach the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of 400 mg.  If you don’t want to take a handful of pills, there is also magnesium powder that you can mix up with water. If you want a magnesium that is highly absorbable and effective, check out my new favorite magnesium powder here!

Also note the RDA of 400 mg may not be quite enough for you.  You can experiment with taking more, and can safely do so long as it does not cause diarrhea.  Of course always ask your physician first if you are taking medication or have special conditions.

2. Drink Enough Water

A handful of clients have told me that just drinking more water cured their cramps.  It’s a basic, un-sexy tip, but water is important for tissue hydration and detoxification, so it makes sense that it can help.

The usual guideline for how much water to drink is half your body weight in ounces of water.  So if you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water per day.  I think there is wiggle room here for less water if you are in cold climate and are no active, and more water if you are in a hot climate and more active.  

If you are actively detoxing, you may need more water.  That can include the natural process of detoxification that happens in the days before and during your period, and also if you are doing a detoxification protocol with a practitioner. 

Please try to drink filtered water, and don’t count coffee, juice or other heavier beverages in your ounces per day.  Note that coffee and other caffeinated beverages are actually de-hydrating because they act as a diuretic.  

Drink water away from meals as too much fluid with meals dilutes your digestive fluids.  Try to sip water to not overwhelm your body with fluid by gulping it down.  First thing is the morning is a great time to get hydrated and have a big glass of water.  Room temperature and warm is best, and you can add a generous squeeze of lemon of you like.

3.  Omega 3 for Menstrual Cramps

Whenever we have pain, including with menstrual cramps, there is usually inflammation. 

Omega 3 is great anti-inflammatory substance.  It has the ability to manage inflammation over the long-term and also in acute situations. (Source)

For a standard maintenance dosage, 2 soft gel capsules are enough. But if you are coming from a background of lots of inflammation and you’ve never taken omega 3 before, you may want to take 3,000 mg a day for a month. 

It’s not well known that omega 3 can be used acutely at higher doses than 1,000 mg.  For example if you feel a flu coming on, you can take 3,000 + mg of omega 3 a day, as it fortifies your cells’ walls so they don’t pass the virus.  For cramps, you can take a higher dose to help reduce the inflammatory prostaglandin activity.  

Another benefit of omega 3 is its ability to regulate the immune system in cases of autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are more common in women, and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid disease, can contribute to estrogen dominance and resulting heavy periods and cramps.

Check out my favorite quality Omega 3 here!

If you are allergic to fish or on a vegetarian diet, you can take a DHA / EPA oil (these are two types of beneficial fat found in fish oil) made from algae instead of fish.

4.  Anti-inflammatory Diet

Please don’t follow tips 1 - 3 without also creating a stable base with an anti-inflammatory diet. A big, big reason that women have menstrual pain is due to tissue inflammation from an inflammatory diet. Inflammation blocked hormone receptors, causing hormone imbalance.

Foods to avoid:

• The whites- white bread, pasta, pastries and sugar

• The drinks- wine, beer, juices, sodas, sweetened coffees and teas

• The oils- seed oils like canola oil are inflammatory are found in most processed foods and restaurant foods

Foods to increase include:

• Fatty fish like wild salmon and anchovies

• Green vegetables

• Berries like raspberry and blueberry

• Fresh nuts and seeds like chia seeds and walnuts

• Herbs like clove, ginger, cinnamon and rosemary

Foods high in fiber help clear excess circulating estrogen through the gut. As you learned earlier, keeping estrogen levels in a healthy range can reduce menstrual cramps caused by high prostaglandins.  

Other Reason for Menstrual Cramps (Secondary Dysmenorrhea)

A. Uterine Positioning

As you can hear about in my interview with Rachel Eyre, if your uterus is adhered to other tissues and can’t move freely, it is forced to twist which can cause you pain.  But you can treat that with specialized massage, castor oil packs or yoni steams, as Rachel explains.  

The whole interview is great, but I’ll point out that at minute 22 we start to talk about cramps, and at minute 35 we talk about techniques that can help.

B.  Endometriosis

Endometriosis can cause extreme pain, and also pain with intercourse, or bowel pain.  If your cramps require prescription painkillers and days off work, you may need to find a practitioner to help determine if you have endometriosis.  

Endometriosis occurs when endometrial tissue (the tissue that lines your inner uterus) is found outside the uterus.  This misplaced tissue adheres to other tissues, and the endometrial tissue also responds to changes in your hormone levels with bleeding and inflammation.

Here is an article by our friend Melissa Turner at Endo Empowered about how to ready yourself for your period if you do have endometriosis.  Some of the tips match mine above, but she has some great new ones too, including using warming herbs and exercise.  Melissa and I also recorded a video on turmeric, which is another herb she uses to reduce inflammation and pain.  

C.  Adenomyosis

In this condition, the endometrial lining embeds within the uterine muscle, causing period pain or lingering pain after sex.  Risk factors for adenomyosis are genetics, estrogen dominance, childbirth or a surgical cut into the uterus.  An ultrasound or MRI scan can help with diagnosis.

D.  Fibroids

Fibroids are tumors of the uterus that are non-cancerous 99% of the time.  Up to 80% of women experience fibroids, and most women will be symptom free.  Dark-skinned women have a greater chance of having fibroids.  This is theorized to be related to low vitamin D levels in dark-skinned women, emphasizing the importance of vitamin D to our hormonal balance.

The mechanism of fibroids is not totally understood, but they grow under the influence of estrogen, so women with estrogen dominance are susceptible.  Estrogen dominance is very common as women approach menopause, so women in their 40s are prone to fibroids.

Uterine fibroids can occur within the walls of the uterus, inside the uterus or outside the uterus. Fibroids can cause menstrual pain, pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, abnormal bleeding, fatigue and anemia.

We have a great interview on the subject with Dr. Allan Warshowsky here.

E.  Copper IUD (Intrauterine Device)

I use a copper IUD for birth control and have very rarely experienced pain from it.  But I have heard stories from other women in which they reacted very poorly to their IUD, having pain and heavy bleeding.  This seems to be more common in younger women who have not gone through childbirth.

If you recently got a copper IUD, you may need a few months to adjust.  If you suspect it is still a problem, consult with your physician.  Also consider following my four tips above before you throw in the towel.

F.  Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

If you have an untreated infection it can cause increased pain with your periods. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease occurs mainly due to STD (sexually transmitted disease), but can also occur after childbirth and pelvic surgeries, including abortions.  It can cause cause infertility and can seriously stress your other body systems. According to Wed MD, one million American women experience PID each year.

Other symptoms of PID could be abdominal pain, painful urination, pain after sex, yellow or green vaginal discharge, chills/fever and nausea/vomiting.  If you suspect a PID, see a doctor.  And always practice protected sex with an untested partner. (Source)

G.  Cervical Stenosis

I have never encountered this cause in my years or work, but it is a possible cause so I will share it. Cervical stenosis is a narrow or narrowing of the cervix, the lower portion of the uterus.  If this area is narrow and your menstrual blood is trying to pass, this can case increased pain.

H. Uterine Shape

Some women have an irregularly shaped uterus that can lead to increased menstrual pain.  These abnormalities are:   bicornuate uterus (two uteri that lead to one cervix), septate uterus (normal uterus with a fibrous band of tissue bisecting it), unicornuate uterus (a uterus that develops from only one mullerian duct), uterus didelphys (two uteri, two cervices, and a septum, or membrane, dividing the vaginal canal).  (Source)

These conditions can be diagnosed by medical imaging, and are sometimes diagnosed during a C section.

I hope this article helps you get out of some monthly distress!  

How to Reduce Inflammation: the Inflammation Repair Kit

Are you ready to get rid of inflammation? The Inflammation Repair Kit includes three products that work together to strongly reduce inflammation and get you on the road to better health.

• Omega Concentrate

• Pure PC

• Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate

These are the most effective anti-inflammatory supplements I have ever found and I used them in my recovery from toxin mold. These are effective for headaches, menstrual cramps, joint or muscle pain, and more. This kit is also helpful for general detox support.

Have you discovered some tips that helps with mentrual cramps? Share them with is in the comments below!

Nutrition And More For A Healthy Cycle With Caroline Zwickson

Welcome to Day 5 of Fertility Week!

Caroline Zwickson is a fertility coach originally from Germany and has been living in the US for 16 years. She holds a Masters in Counselling Psychology and studied dreams, imaginations, and how to help people cultivate awareness for that and integrate it into their lives in order to create more wholeness. She did her Masters’ thesis on women and mind-body connection and looked into how women experience emotions like fear, joy and anger in their bodies, and how they can use the body to work with those emotions.

After graduating she slowly made her way into life coaching because she was passionate about helping people figure out not only why they're stuck but also what they can do about it, taking that future oriented outlook of life and really thinking about life in a positive way. Her focus in the coaching world is to help women create a fertile life; prepare them for a healthy pregnancy.

She had hormonal imbalances after coming out of the birth control pill and this experience made her dive deeply into women's hormones. She figured out a natural and holistic way to heal her hormone imbalances. The positive effects she experienced made her want to help other women. 

In this interview, we’re talking about:

1. Nutrition and balancing hormones

2. Our thoughts and their effects on our bodies

3. Movement and exercise

4. The luteal phase and blood sugar balance

5. Supplements

6. Diet and food sources

Access Today's Interview

You can listen to today's interview through the player below, or through our podcast channel, Women's Wellness Radio. Our podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and other podcast players as well.

About Caroline:

To learn more about Caroline Zwickson, click here to visit her website.

You can also follow her on:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Today's Raffle:

For today’s raffle, Caroline Zwickson is giving away her fall-cleanse workbook, and our sponsor Nutribullet donated another awesome kitchen blender.

Caroline's beautiful, info-packed 62-page workbook that includes: 

• An introduction to fall cleansing with a special focus on your lungs and your colon. The goal is to eliminate congestion and optimize elimination.

• Small daily exercises & action steps to promote emotional well-being, strength, resilience, and feeling calm and beautiful!

• Tips for how to overcome cravings and constipation (without your morning coffee)

• A shopping list packed with delicious, fresh, and invigorating foods

• Menu ideas and suggestions for how to keep things easy, simple and delicious

• lots and lots of amazing recipes that brighten up your day and make you feel amazing from the inside out

We put all of Caroline's information together in a handy sheet, print-able for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

Click Here to Get the Guide

“We welcome your comments and questions below!”

Mind Your Sperm & Egg With Bridgit Danner

Welcome to Day 3 of Fertility Week!

Our speaker today is...me!  I'm so excited to share with you my expertise on sperm and egg.  

There are many factors threatening the health of our sperm and eggs: radiation, toxins, inflammation, oxidation, and more.  I encourage you to learn the foundational habits to protect your sperm and egg and ensure your fertility.

Even if you've been told you have low sperm count or 'old eggs' there is still much you can do to increase your pregnancy odds!

We also talk about:

1.       Diet for optimal egg and sperm quality

2.       Combating stress when dealing with infertility

3.       Exercise for fertility

4.       Supplements to improve egg and sperm quality

Access My Interview Here:

You can listen to my interview through the player below, or through our podcast channel, Women's Wellness Radio.  Our podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and other podcast players as well.

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TODAY'S RAFFLE IS FOR ONE NUTRIBULLET AND 1 MEMBERSHIP TO MY PERFECT PERIODS COURSE ($297 VALUE).

Two Fertility Books for You, on sale this week!

Today is an extra special day for me as my new book, Amazing Eggs: How To Naturally Improve Your Fertile Egg Quality, is being released!

For five days only, Nov 9- 13, the Amazing Eggs title will be available for free on Kindle. My second edition of Making Super Sperm will be available for $.99 November 10-13.

You can purchase either through the links above.  These are Kindle books, but if you don't have a Kindle you can still purchase the books and download a Kindle Reader app for your computer, tablet or smartphone.

One last thing...as a thank you to those who leave a review of either book, you can enter to win a private consultation with me ($395 value)!  Review two books and get two entries!  Learn more/ enter raffle here.

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Perfect Periods for Fertility Webinar

Join me for a special webinar where you can ask questions and learn more about creating a healthy menstrual cycle through healthy habits.

You MUST have a 'mostly normal' cycle to get pregnant!  It doesn't have to be perfect, but enough factors need to be in play for a successful ovulation, luteal phase and pregnancy.

Register Here.  Let's Get You Figured Out!

We put all of the information I shared in this interview in a handy sheet, print-able for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

Click Here to Get the Guide

Thanks for listening!
Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

Are Food Sensitivities Preventing Your Pregnancy? With Sarah Clark

Welcome to Day 2 of Fertility Week!

Sarah Clark is a certified life coach with accreditation from the International Coaches Federation and a health coach with training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. At 28 years old, she was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure and accepted the diagnosis and had both of her kids through IVF. Years later she realized the root cause of her infertility was food intolerance.

Later, while working in HR, she took life and health coaching courses because she was bringing coaching to the corporate environment and found out how food affects the body. She learnt that she had food sensitivity and changed her diet and lifestyle, and in a few months her health began to improve.

Sarah Clark is the author of Fabulously Fertile: Supercharge Your Fertility Naturally, a fertility cookbook for couples struggling with infertility.

Access Today's Interview

You can listen to today's interview through the player below, or through our podcast channel, Women's Wellness Radio.  Our podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and other podcast players as well.

In this interview, we talk about:

1. What happens to our bodies when we eat food we are intolerant to

2. Tests for food sensitivity/intolerance i.e. Ige test, Igg test, MRT test, ALCAT test

3. Involvement of male partners in the fertility journey

4. Restoring/healing a damaged system

5. Gut healing foods and Sarah's recommendation for probiotics

6. Tips for home cooking

7. Which kind of fish to eat

8. The connection between gluten and premature ovarian failure

Daily Raffle:

For today’s raffle, Sarah Clark will be giving away her Fertility Preparation Program valued at $297. It includes professional gourmet chef prepared recipes, supplement and essential oil recommendations. 

Nutribullet is also giving away a free 'nutrient extractor' in the daily raffle. Thanks, Nutribullet!

Sarah Clark’s Resources:

1.    Free 3-Day Fertility Diet Challenge

2.  Fab Fertile Support Group on Facebook

3.    A recently launched Free Guided fertility Visualization download

We put all of Sarah Clark's information together in a handy sheet, print-able for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

Click Here to Get the Guide

Thanks for listening!  Feel free to post any comments or questions below.

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative.

Kids' Nutrition: Picky Eaters And More With Megan Wroe

Megan Wroe is a registered dietitian based in California specializing in Pediatric care. She became a dietitian after her sister was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and later fell in love with pediatrics. She holds a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Cal Poly Pomona.

Megan talks about some of the common issues she sees with patients like:

• Introducing infants to solid foods after 6 months

• Obesity/ Overweight/ Underweight and failure to thrive

• Food allergies and intolerances

• Picky eating among kids (can be due to lack of knowledge or related to sensory disorders like autism)

• Kids with GI issues like IBS, gluten intolerance, constipation, diarrhea and EOE 

• Hormonal issues among teenage girls like PCOS

Megan Wroe helps young parents who don't know what to feed their babies. She talks about her approach to the above kids' issues, the critical window for food/sensory development and the best time to introduce new foods.

"My philosophy with kids is first of all that it starts with the parents. I do a lot of division of responsibility, teaching parents that if they provide balanced meals and have consistent meal time routines, then their kids will follow suit."

We also discuss:

1. How parents influence their kids' taste buds and choice of food

2. How to introduce new food through food chaining and food play

3. Involving kids in meal planning, grocery shopping and meal preparation

4. The influence of birth method (whether C-section or vaginal birth) to kids' picky eating.

5. The importance of teaching kids what not to eat especially if they have certain conditions or allergies. Remind them which foods can cause certain effects like stomach aches and allergies they experienced earlier.

To learn more about Megan Wroe, visit her website at Personal RD.

You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.

You might also like this article "3 Signs Your Kid Plays Video Games Too Much"

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Recipe: Pinto Beans and Ham Hock

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen. This recipe can be found in her new book, Broth and Stock, which is available now at Amazon or other online retailers.

"The most vivid memory I have of my grandmother’s kitchen is of hurriedly eating sandwiches of white bread and margarine over the sink. Despite her lack of culinary prowess, my grandmother did make one dish and one dish very well: pinto beans and ham hock. Its simple ingredients and easy approach make it perfect for a novice cook or a harried one.

The combination of ham hock’s natural sweet smokiness paired with the earthy and humble flavor of pinto beans make a satisfying, full-flavored meal."

RECIPE

• 3 cups dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed

• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon lard or bacon fat

• 1 white onion, peeled & chopped

• 2 ham hocks, about 2 pounds

• Finely ground sea salt

Pour the beans into a mixing bowl, cover with warm water by 2 inches, and stir in the baking soda. Soak for at least 8 and up to 18 hours, then drain and rinse them well.

Melt the lard in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Stir the onion into the hot fat and sauté it until fragrant and translucent, about 8 minutes. Drop the ham hocks into the pot and then stir in the beans. Pour enough water into the pot to cover its contents by 2 inches and simmer, covered,over medium-low heat until the beans are soft and the meat falls away easily from the bone, about 3 hours.

Remove the ham hock from the pot and, when it’s cool enough to handle, pull any meat that still clings to it off the bone, and stir it into the pot of beans. Season the beans with salt to taste, ladle into soup bowls, and serve hot.

Reprinted with permission from Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen, written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Recipe: Yucatán-style Lime Soup (sopa de lima)

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen. This recipe can be found in her new book, Broth and Stock, which is available now at Amazon or other online retailers.

"On a visit to Mexico’s Yucatàn Peninsula, a place that offers a unique, lively cuisine steeped in both Mayan and Spanish culinary influence, my family climbed the vine-draped limestone ruins at Cobá, before our guide drove us along the winding orange-redroads through the jungle. We reached a cenote, a deep, naturally occurring limestone well filled with clean fresh water, where we swam until tired and worn. Now hungry from climbing and swimming, we headed to a small restaurant along the lake at Cobá, where they served traditional Yucatecan cooking, among the dishes they offered was a classic lime soup. Nearly every restaurant along the Yucatán Peninsula offers its own perfect version of lime soup, some with bell peppers and others touched with cinnamon and oregano. I favor the simplest approach with chicken, onion, rice, and limes. Simple foods often make the best foods, as their humble ingredients shine through without pomp or pretense."
 

Recipe

• Lard or coconut oil, for frying

• 1 (8-ounce) package corn tortillas, sliced into 1⁄4 by 1-inch strips

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• 3 limes

• Jalapeños, for garnish

• Cotija cheese, for garnish

• Avocado slices, for garnish

• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Line a plate with a paper towel or a cotton kitchen towel.
Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Spoon enough lard into the skillet so that when it melts, it reaches about 1⁄2 inch up the side of the skillet, about 11⁄2 cups.

Once the fat melts completely and begins to shimmer in the skillet, test the oil by dropping a tortilla strip into the hot fat. If the tortilla sizzles immediately in the pan, crisping and turning a golden brown within about 30 seconds, the oil is ready. Working in batches, and taking care not to crowd the pan, fry the tortilla strips until crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortilla strips to the lined plate, and allow them to cool. Turn off the heat.

Place the whole chicken in a large stock pot. Pour enough water into the pot to cover the chicken by 2 inches. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the meat shreds easily with a fork. Turn off the heat.

Carefully remove the chicken from the pot, setting it on a platter to allow it to cool until it’s comfortable enough to handle.Remove and discard the skin, pull the meat from the bone, and shred it with a fork.

Strain the broth in the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or jar, discarding the solids. Wipe out the pot to remove any stray debris, and then return the strained broth and reserved chicken meat to the pot. Stir in the onion and rice and then bring to a simmer over medium heat. While the soup warms, juice one of the limes and then stir the juice into the soup pot. Continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent and the chicken is warmed. While soup is cooking, finely chop the remaining 2 limes, peel and all.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve with the chopped lime, sliced jalapeño, crumbled Cotija cheese, sliced avocado, and tortillastrips.  Serves 8.

Reprinted with permission from Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen, written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Recipe: Chicken in Wine with Mushrooms, Peas, and Herbs

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen. This recipe can be found in her new book, Broth and Stock, which is available now at Amazon or other online retailers.

"Spring arrives in my garden in a fit of sweet English peas, ready for shelling, and aromatic herbs. They marry well together,balanced by cream and mild-flavored button mushrooms. This dish, decidedly one of my favorites, is one I find myself making again and again. Elegant enough for company, but simple enough for a weeknight family dinner, it starts by browning chicken and then simmering it with wine, leeks, mushrooms, and peas until the meat falls off the bone. The broth, enhanced withcrème fraîche, makes a lovely sauce, and I serve this over potatoes."
 

Recipe

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into pieces

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 leeks, thinly sliced

• 1 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

• 2 cups dry white wine

• 11⁄2 pounds English peas in their shell, or 2 cups frozen peas

• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche

• 1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Warm the butter in the bottom of a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, add the chicken pieces to the pot and brown them, about 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and stir then stir in the leeks and mushrooms. Add the salt to the pot, cover it, and turn down the heat to medium-low. Allow the leeks and mushrooms to sweat together in the heat of the pot until tender, about 8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and then pour in the white wine.Simmer it all together over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.

If you’re using fresh peas still in their shell, shell them while the chicken cooks. Pour them into the pan and then continue simmering them all together until the peas soften and become tender, a further 20 minutes.

If you’re using frozen peas, continue cooking the chicken another 15 minutes and then pour in the peas, allowing them to warm, about 5 minutes more. Stir the parsley and chives into the pot. Turn off the heat, stir in the crème fraîche, season with sea salt, and serve hot.

Reprinted with permission from Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen, written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Estrogen Boosting Crackers by Magdalena Wszelaki

Magdalena Wszelaki, Certified Nutrition Coach, has shared some great recipes with us for our seed cycling challenge!! 

Try out this Estrogen Boosting Recipe!!

Magdalena Wszelaki

Yummy Carrot Parsnip Mash

If you haven't yet discovered the pure delight of parsnips, now is the time!

This easy mash takes no time at all, and your guests will find you very fancy.

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks

• 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into big chunks

• 3/4 leek, cut into thin slices (avoid possible dirt in upper leek)

• 1 cup bone broth or water

•  about 2 T butter

• salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon of each)

Directions:

• Set the broth or water to boil in a medium, covered pot.  

• Add leeks, carrots, parsnips.  

• Boil covered on medium until totally soft.  Add butter.  

• Use immersion blender to mash until smooth.  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can dump all ingredients into your external food processor to blend.

• Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste, and mix well.

• Serve, optionally, each portion in a little serving cup, topped with a dash of nutmeg.  Delicious!

• Makes about 5 servings.

Join the January Recipe Party

This was a recipe for Chicken Tajine from Mediterranean Paleo that turned out so delicious.  

I was calling this a "Recipe Challenge," but realized that sounded too intimidating!  This is actually the least intimidating challenge...

How the Recipe Party Started

I love to cook but am bad about cracking a recipe book, or planning out what I need for recipes at the store.  I also have fantasies that I will compete on Masterchef someday, so I need to broaden my knowledge!!!

Anyway, at first I thought, "I'm going to cook one new recipe a day in January!" Then I realized that is pretty demanding, and it's hard to start right after the holidays.  So I softened it up a bit.

What is the Recipe Party

The Recipe Party is simply a way for us to get inspired in cooking new things by sharing with and supporting each other.  We will do this through our private Facebook group.  You will have to ask to join the group first since it's a private group.  

How the Recipe Party Works

Starting January 9, you can resolve to make as little or as many recipes as you want through January 30.  You can do literally only one new recipe if you want.  That might be enough for you with your schedule, or your cooking history!

You can use recipes from a website you like, from your Grandmother, or from some recipe books that are collecting dust on your shelves.

You can cook vegetarian, all desserts, or paleo.  It's up to you!

So as you can see, there are no rules at all in this recipe party.  

What to Do Next

Go to the Facebook group and ask to join.  Once I have clicked the approval, please come post an introduction of yourself.

Here's an example:

"Hi I'm Bridgit and I'm from Portland, OR.  The books I'm going to cook from are the Ketogenic Cookbook, Mediterranean Paleo and the Virgin cookbook.  I intend to cook 3 new recipes a week, probably 2 on the weekend and 2 during the week.  Looking forward to getting to know you, and trying some, new yummy foods!"

That's it!  From there you are welcome to share successful recipes, or complete failures.  This is not meant to be stressful, so don't beat yourself up if you don't cook as much as you planned.  

The reason I like short-term challenges (or parties) is that it rocks us out of our routine, and then maybe we realize some easy way to shop for recipes, or we start creating our own recipes, or joining in with neighbors to can fruit.  Things happen when we push ourselves in a new direction, and hopefully we can do it in a fun and supportive way.

See you on the group!  Bridgit

Food as Medicine with Pharmacist and Health Coach, Ahn Nguyen

Dr. Anh Nguyen always wanted to be a pharmacist, and enjoyed many aspects of the work.  But she realized people were just getting on more and more medications, and were never really coming off of them.  

She was curious about how she could help people come off medications safely, and how to use food as medicine instead.  

This led her to study health coaching and functional medicine.  She also got interested in bodybuilding and started to train for competitions.  Meanwhile she was dealing with illness in her family, which led to her own compromised health.

She shares some of her learnings with us on this interview.  Here's what we talk about:

• How to approach pharmaceuticals in a safer way

• How pharmaceuticals can cause nutrient depletions

• How pharmaceuticals can cause thyroid symptoms

• Which nutritional supplements she recommends to restore thyroid health

and much more.  

Dr. Anh hosts a popular weekly podcast called Food As Medicine that you can find on iTunes or through her website, Dranh.com.  

I was her guest on episode 49, talking about Fertility After Age 35.  

Thanks for checking out the show!  If you like it, we really appreciate you telling a friend.  If you're not yet subscribed, please take a moment to do so through your podcast player.  

Easiest Broth Ever

Boiling a chicken carcass or some beef knuckles is an important thing to know how to do.  You can get a great quantity of delicious and nutritious broth to use while cooking rice, making a soup, or just to enjoy on its own.  You can learn more about doing it the proper way here at our video.

But sometimes I am out of fresh broth, or don't have time to deal with un-thawing frozen broth. Enter...the easiest broth ever.

This is so easy you can make it a couple times a day without any trouble.  The whole thing takes about 3 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 T Great Lakes unflavored beef gelatin 'collagen joint care' (find online or at some health food stores)

• Water

• A few dashes of ground black pepper

• A few dashes of garlic powder

• Two generous pinches rock sea salt, or several dashes of fine sea salt

1. Set 12 oz. of water to boil

2. When it's near to boiling, add 1 T cold or room temp. water to your mug

3. Add the 1 T gelatin and mix immediately

4. Add the pepper, salt and garlic

5. Pour in the boiled water and stir

This is a nice, savory cup of broth with many health benefits:

• The salt is good to boost to a healthy level of blood pressure and circulation in (common) cases of low adrenal function.  It can give you a little pick-me-up.

• The gelatin powder has a good amount of protein (11 grams) needed to steady our blood sugar.

• Gelatin also has many beneficial amino acids, including glycine, which is calming, and glutamine, which helps heal the gut lining.

• Fluids:  we all need more, right?  Two cups a day gets you 24 more oz., giving you energy and flushing out waste.

I am currently experimenting to see if two mugs a day will help my lower bowel function.  Many people report healthier hair and nails as well.

Do you have any broth experiences to share?

The Value of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet with Dr. Jessica Black, ND

Dr. Jessica Black, ND is an experienced clinician and accomplished author.  Her first book, which started as a compilation of the recipe suggestions she was giving to her clients, became very popular.  She has since written a second edition of The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book, as well as a companion version, More Anti-Inflammation Diet Tips and Recipes.

She also co-authored a book about Living with Crohn's and Colitis, and is currently working on books about a blood sugar diet, and then pediatrics.  Somehow in all this she manages to see patients at her clinics in Portland, OR, and McMinnville, OR, raise two daughters, and eat tons a vegetables along the way!

With her varied background, we bounce around a bit, talking about picky eaters and how she's developed a strong plan for controlling blood sugar in her clinic.  But at the core of this conversation is the anti-inflammation diet.

This diet is so important because it prevents and treats so many diseases, from PCOS to joint pain to gastric distress.  Yes, we know there are so many fad diets, but when my clients ask me what diet I promote, I usually say the anti-inflammation diet.  It's safe, and treats the array of diseases caused by inflammation (much of which comes from inflammatory foods.)

Find out the tenets of the anti-inflammation diet at the player below.  To get these interviews delivered right to your phone every week, be sure to search "Womens Wellness Radio" in your podcast player.

Has an anti-inflammation diet helped you? Join in the conversation in the comments field below.